Physio: They were disciplined soldiers

If the Thomas Cupwinning players deserve accolades for scaling a strenuous summit the unsung physiotherapists should also get their slice of the cakeHyderabadrsquos Challagundla Kiran and Sumansh deserve credit for keeping the victorious Indian team in fightingfit shapeOn the court the players did their best but off the court Kiran along with Sumansh had a key role to play Hyderabadibased Kiran had to take care of all the players barring Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu for this important world event ldquoIt is the biggest achievement as far as team events are concerned By conquering teams like Malaysia Denmark and Indonesia it was a victory for the playersrsquo physical and mental fitnessrsquorsquo said Kiran who has been with the Indian team since 2009Long working hoursFor Kiran who studied sports physiotherapy in Australia the biggest advantage was knowing the majority of players for quite a long period of time ldquoAs a result I know how the body reacts for each individual player Of course with backtoback matches it was strenuous for the players and support staff We had to manage menrsquos and womenrsquos team that competed in the Uber Cup too We had to work overtime It was 24hour duty as we had to ensure that players are fit for the next matchrsquorsquo he saidAccording to Kiran the players are very conscious of their bodies and careful with their fitness ldquoBut it was different in this Thomas Cup The players were emotionally drained out The matches were tough and they had to go through a lot of emotions apart from physical stress In fact after the semifinals we had to work on the players till late in the night Sometimes they had to sleep without proper food but they never complained They were disciplined soldiers there were smiles and good camaraderie among the team membersrdquoKiran pointed out that as a physio he has to also take care of nutrition and physiological aspects ldquoSrikanthrsquos movements are much better now He is fitter and stronger We worked on his speed and endurance However we had to be careful with Prannoy as he had come out of injuries There were specific exercises for him Our job was to keep a strict vigil on the diet of different players The coachrsquos coordination is very important Irsquom happy that no player complained of any pains or injuriesrdquoChirag Shetty needs rehabOn doubles player Chirag Shetty Kiran said ldquoHe wore a belt for his back but that did not affect his performance He will be in a rehab programme for next six weeks Satwik is robust and physically strongrdquo Come to think of it Indian badminton is also robust and physically strong